Sunday, March 30, 2014

Andrew Gravel spent a lot of time figuring out what he already knew deep in his
heart: music had to be a major part of his life. A top-notch blues rock guitarist, Gravel has
gigged with bands in the Amherst/Northampton and Boston scenes. He has also toured and gigged his way through
clubs in London and Australia. Already a
guitarist with Martha’s Vineyard favorites Entrain, Gravel branched out into
his own band in 2010. The Gravel Project
featured Gravel’s vocals and powerhouse guitar work, and a highly original
blend of blues, rock, soul and R&B.
2014 marks the release of The Gravel Project’s first full-length studio
album, The Gravel Project.

The
Gravel Project opens with an unrepentant mix of disco,
funk and rock and roll on "When I Get Back Home". It's all here, with
panache to spare, and you'd damn well better have your dancing shoes on. Guitar
riffs galore dot "Blues For L.A.", a musical tour de force that's
relentless and irresistible. The Gravel Project pulls back a bit for the
contemplative and languorous "Jam Today", a carpe diem tune for the
laid back crowd. "Lost" and "Dollar Bill" seem to
fall into a comfortable jam mode, although the latter lets loose some Stax
style horn work that's worth the price of admission on its own.

"In The Moonlight" has a distinctive country feel, but doesn't cede
the jam sensibilities you've come to expect from The Gravel Project. The song
is a bit too complex to cross over to country radio, but it is a congenial
enough sound to catch on with country fans. "Close To Me" finds the
band moving back toward a 1970's blend of rock and soul. This one has a gentle
groove that will sweep you up and carry you along. "Not The
One" may be destined to be the breakout track on the album. The song is a
bit too long for commercial radio, clocking in at 4:59, but has a killer hook,
brilliant Popicana sensibilities and a memorable chorus. Give this song
the right radio edit and you'll be hearing it everywhere this summer.

The Gravel Project begins to wind down with the groovy, slow jam vibe of
"Soul Now". This easy vibe carries over into the gentle island sway
of "Your Song". But just when you think you're headed for a soft
landing, The Gravel Project launches into a vibrant cover of "New Speedway
Boogie" (The Grateful Dead). The band's pop sensibilities shine through
here, and are driven to new heights with wicked guitar work that smacks of
George Thorogood in his prime.

Andrew Gravel is a force to be reckoned with, and he
has two extremely talented wingmen in Brad Barrett (bass/slide guitar) and Dave
Fox (drums). The Gravel Project is an eye opening, ear-pleasing experience. It’s true that the trio gets a little too
bogged down in the free-form jam configurations, but their pop sense and
exquisite musical timing make it all work.
This is a working band with the potential to build a rabid
following. Add in an occasional dose of
musical economy and they’ll be pumping out chart toppers for years.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Ashley Davis is both prospector and pioneer. Born in the Kansas plains, her musical
indoctrination was hued by the sounds and styles of country music, with dashes
of Appalachian folk added in for spice.
As a musician she has tended to pursue both styles’ musical progenitor,
Celtic music. With a well-worn passport
that’s scene Ireland and Scotland many times over, Davis has built a reputation
in the Celtic music community. Her collaboration
with Moya Brennan, Eileen Ivers, The Chieftains, John Doyle and Cormac De Barra
reflect the quality of both Davis’ songwriting and musicianship, as well as her
willingness to wear away stylistic boundaries and explore new ground. On May 13, 2014, Davis will release her
fourth album, Night Travels, with the
same adventuresome spirit that has marked her previous works.

Davis opens Night
Travels with “His Bride I’ll Be”, a beautiful and intricately simple
arrangement. Ashley Davis presents with
a warm and polished vocal sound that’s as deep as night and guest vocalist Sara
Watkins is a pleasant contrast with her young and wilder vocal tone. This is a gorgeous pairing, and a stunning
way to start an album. “I Follow You”
has a lulling feel, pairing Davis’ gorgeous voice with a meticulously smooth
arrangement. The rolling feel of the
song gives the impression of the small waves of a windless shoreline. Davis pairs with John Doyle to interpret the
classic ballad “Barbara Allen”, and together they bring the heartbreaking tale
of love lost to life. The approach her
is understated yet emotive, and brings the power of the song to new
levels. “Night Travels” is very smooth
with great energy, but perhaps doesn’t impress as much as you might expect from
a title track.

“The Blackest Crow” is a mournful love song that explores parting
and the impending heartbreak in articulate, evocative poetry. The melody is an equally adept partner here,
creating a wash of love, trepidation and sadness that you can’t avoid being
swept up in. “With You Tonight” features
the violin talents of Eileen Ivers, who’s dancing violin is the perfect
counterpart to Davis’ lyric vocals. “In
The Blue” is a pretty thought somewhat nondescript waltz. Moya Brennan shares vocals with Davis on
“Beside You Near” in a performance that almost sounds like mother and
daughter. Brennan’s vibrato-laden voice
gives the impression of age and wisdom against the smooth careful presentation
that Davis brings.

Davis gets upbeat on “Alone With Me”, an ear-pleasing love
song with great energy that’s among the best offerings on the album. “Horses” takes on a more theatrical feel; a
soliloquy on trust and love lost and the consequences that follow. Davis closes out with “Dreams Will Come”, a
sweet but somehow labored sounding closer that does little to hurt the overall
impression Davis has made, but still is perhaps not the best closing
thought.

Ashley Davis mines the genres of folk, American, Country and
Celtic music on Night Travels. As with mining, every vein is different, and
there is the occasional miss, but Night
Travels taken as a whole is a thing of beauty. Davis’ voice is warm and beautiful and
thoroughly inviting, and the arrangements on Night Travels are full of an understated beauty. The list of impressive guests adds to the
diverse sound and styles of the album, and Davis has created a song cycle you’ll
be happy to visit again and again.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Somewhere between myth and music lies the sordid tale of The Cocksure Lads. The Cocksure Lads inhabited the same space in time as The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits and Gerry and The Pacemakers, pumping out hits on BBC Radio One, but have somehow been forgotten by history. Or, they are the creation of Moxy Fruvous alums Murray Foster and Mike Ford. Purveyors of the latter theory suggest that Foster and Ford began writing songs in the 1960’s Brit-Pop style back in the mid-1990 and have continued off and on ever since. By 2010 they had over 25 Lads songs, and decided to commit them to bits and bytes. A year later they decided to make a video, but came away the conviction that there was a larger story to be told about The Cocksure Lads, and hence a movie was born. Shooting on the film begins in 2014, but in the meantime, The Cocksure Lads are back with a brilliant collection of 13 songs entitled Mad Lad Plan.

The Lads kick things off with the bouncy 60's pop sound of "In London Town". You'll be humming this one for days or at least until you hear the Beatles-esque follow-up track "Mr. Man". The Cocksure Lads take on the major labels here in a bit of joyous disbelief. The joyous/campy spirit continues on "They All Wanted Me Back", with a melody that Paul McCartney would envy. Expect to move your feet even if you don't want to.

"Yes I Do" is the sort of swaying, melodic love song that recalls 1960's high school dances, and transitions into the melodic brilliance and happy outlook of "Not Today". You won't be able to keep yourself from swaying to this tune, which might have knocked The Beatles off the charts if it were released in 1964. "Say Uncle (Garant Said)" is a frenetic rocker detailing advice from a friend/colleague that runs from sage to ridiculous, all while speeding like a freight train hopped up on delicious guitar licks. Te narrative here is fun; you'll be swept along. The Cocksure Lads change things up with the swaying ballad "When You Walk", a somehow sad sounding yet sugary love song that will get stuck in your grille. "Paddington Way" has a dark musical timbre, but still manages to maintain a distinct pop sense with a chorus that won't let you go.

One of the quiet gems of the album is "The Surprising Thing". The Lads never quite get around to telling you what it is, but one can imagine it might be falling in love. This is pure Brit Pop gold. "Easy Peasy" has a more elemental rock and roll feel, but shares the same universally approachable motif. Sit still if you can, because this song is going to rock you. "Requiem For A Lad (featuring The Woosleywumps)" is a contemplative swayer where the melody line is whistled. The simple arrangement and melody are memorable, and have an almost haunting quality.

The Cocksure Lads pay tribute to their stories homeland in "England My England", a schmaltzy yet moving ode of fealty full of quiet nationalistic pride. The Lads close with the light hearted ballad "Our Love Is Strong", a song guaranteed to have you dancing around and singing along. The lyrics are campy and fun, if a bit off the beaten path of songs of this sort. Nevertheless, you won’t be able to get the song out of your head.

Whichever story you might believe about The Cocksure Lads, one thing is for certain: The Lads rock play vibrant 1960’s rock and roll with a distinct musicality that stands up against the best of that era. Mad Lad Plan is an utter musical joy that will have you coming back again and again; a true Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Very often, the key to standing out in the Indie
music world is the presence of one distinguishing quality. It can be a specific tone of voice, or a
signature guitar style, or any one of a number of unique traits. For New York-based singer/songwriter Juliane
Jones it could be a number of things. It
could be her bilingual approach to songwriting (Mandarin Chinese and English),
here gentle folk/pop style, her infectious hooks, or a voice that haunts. Jones has lived in various places around the
world, and speaks fluent French and Mandarin (in addition to English). Her inspiration is that of an
ethnomusicologist, understanding and binding cultures through music. Her debut album, The Space Between The Telephone Lines, reflects on the space
between us where distinctions grey and fade, and blends both sound and meaning
into something new.

The Mandarin/English split makes the album different
to interpret for meaning, yet the Jones gives enough through the English
language lyrics and through her expressive vocal style for understanding. “Free This Mind” opens the set with an
infectious folk/pop arrangement. What’s
most impressive, perhaps, is Jones’ ability to switch back and forth between
two disparate sounding languages without affecting the lyric or stylistic
quality of the song. “Rhythm and Blues”
spends little time in English, focusing on a repetitive chorus with a great
hook. “When You Sleep” is a song of
longing and heartbreak set to a gentle pop swing. Jones is entirely convincing as she ruminates
on love lost.

“Just A Feeling” fits into a similar groove, but has
a more nebulous feel to it. Jones opens
with a verse in Mandarin, and then proceeds with alternating lines, almost like
a language primer set to music. “Wooden
Horse” finds Jones venturing into a highly marketable gentle pop sound. While the mix of languages is perhaps anathema
to American commercial radio, the potential for this song as an international
hit is very real. “Heavy Things” stays
in the same musical territory, driven by the rhythm of a bouncy piano
line. The prospective love song is
sweetness and light, focused on things that matter rather than the material
considerations that often weigh relationships down. “Hey Shadow” is a song
focused on kicking negativity to the curb.
There’s a cuteness to the song that’s almost overwhelming, but Jones
keeps it from becoming an ‘ear sore’.

Jones jumps into “The Bicycle Song”, a parable about
love with a bouncy chorus that will get stuck in your head. This is one of the most appealing songs on
the album with real pop radio potential.
“Cotton Candy” plays well in spite of the young sounding lyrics, playing
to an almost J-Pop sensibility. “Jack”
is a bit more sophisticated, with a dark sound and a light swing to the
arrangement that intrigues. It’s a
variation on “Hit The Road Jack” that’s musically appealing. Jones closes things out with “Water”, a
dreamy pop ballad full of acoustic guitar and the faint echoes of reverb.

Juliane Jones shows an expressive talent on The Space Between The Telephone Lines,
as well as an ability to cross social and cultural divides. Jones’ ability to mix languages so seamlessly
while maintaining a continuity of sound is particularly impressive. The heavy reliance on Mandarin will limit her
scope with American audiences, but Jones may be playing to a much wider market
on the international stage one day.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Austin folk rockers Carry Illinois take Americana back to its
roots on their debut EP Siren. Singer/songwriter Lizzy Lehman is a
folksinger at heart, carving her songs from the same emotional and musical
bedrock as artists such as Carole King, Gillian Welch, Joni Mitchell and Shawn
Colvin, to name a few. Carry Illinois is
Lehman (vocals/guitar); Nick Droz (bass); Rudy Villareal (drums); and Darwin
Smith (guitar). Together, Carry Illinois
take Lizzy Lehman’s folk songs and turn them into alt-rock/Americana creations
with higher musical pretensions, all while maintaining Lehman’s adroit sense of
place in the world.

Siren opens with "Weakest Limb", a method
rocker with an incessant whine and minimalist aspirations. What is meant,
perhaps, as a mea culpa becomes a chant like affair. "Siren" is built
upon a similar precipice, driven by an anachronistic lead vocal and sparse
instrumentation occasionally beefed up by an electronic rhythm.
"Jackson Square" is a dream-fuzz treatise on disillusionment
and broken dreams. This is hardcore melancholy, but has its own quiet beauty.
Carry Illinois gets vocal effects happy on "Nothing To Despise", a
sonic self-immolation that's nearly painful to hear. Carry Illinois closes with
the Appalachian influenced "A Good Farewell", a terminally melancholy
affair that struggles to escape the weight of the vocal line.

Sometimes a dish made with a mass of sweet ingredients still
winds up sour. That’s the net outcome
for Siren, which has great
aspirations and great talent behind, but Carry Illinois has yet to find cohesion
in the studio. Art is a fine aspiration,
but the nuts and bolts need to be attended to.
There are some great moments here, especially “Jackson Square”, but
Carry Illinois is still exploring who they are as an outfit, and all of the
pieces don’t fit squarely together yet.
That will come in time, and I would expect bigger and better things out
of the band the next time around.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

You might say that Santa Monica native Nettie Rose has music
in her blood. She is the granddaughter
of Alan Freed, the DJ who coined the phrase “rock-n-roll”. Her father is a music publisher and her
mother is a rock archivist. Nettie Rose
grew up with the music business as a second nature to her, and fell in love
with some of the more esoteric songwriters of the past 30 years. Honing her craft in a boarding school band,
and later on her own, Nettie Rose is on the path to becoming one of the
songwriters she so idolized as a child.
Her debut album, People I Know,
is a series of vignettes on people real and imagined from all across the
spectrum.

The grasp of humanity Rose shows on People I Know is striking in one so young. Granted, she falls into cliché on occasion
where experience has yet to open doors for her, but even here Rose puts a human
face on the caricature and brings the character to life. All of this is
delivered in an ever-evolving mélange of rock, country, folk and blues that
occasionally ventures in European styles.
Nettie Rose’s voice is utilitarian and striking; not pretty but
perfectly honed for the songs she writes.
She sets off on the right foot with “Ride Ride Ride”, a classic-style
story song that plays to Rose’s strengths of lyrical and musical
constructs. “For My Young Lord Drake”
has a plaintive, mesmerizing inertia.
It’s one of the crown jewels of the album, and Nettie Rose delivers it
with a no-nonsense style that works very well.

“Last Chance Saloon” shows Rose’s ability as a composer as
she crafts a wondrous atmosphere around a simple story song. The high point of the affair comes on “The
Puppet Cabaret”. Rose is entirely in her
element vocally, and you will walk away humming/singing this to yourself. “Corduroy Marina” wins the award for the best
use of the world “misanthropic” in a popular tune. There’s an almost novelty-like feel to the
lyrics here, but Rose’s straight-forward songwriting makes this feel like art
rather than novelty. Nettie Rose closes
with a double track. “Mean Manblues” is
a solid closing number, and is followed by an untitled hidden track. This last is a gem, although Rose almost
seems to run out of air on a couple of the longer vocal lines.

Nettie Rose delves into the singer/songwriter tradition with
aplomb on People I Know. Her effort is not wasted, although it’s clear
that Rose is still finding her niche.
The album is a very strong first effort.
With continued development of her craft, Nettie Rose is on the path to
one day be the sort of singer/songwriter that other burgeoning artists hope to
be like.